Sell unsafe productsoutside the norm, having a high rate of complaints or poor service affects the relationship with the consumer in the short or medium term, a situation that harms organizations and negatively impacts the credibility of the consumers.
However, it is not enough to offer a quality product or service. Society demands transparency, coherence between what is promised and what is received and, of course, ethics. For this reason, regulatory compliance or compliance has become so important for organizations and is a great ally for consumers.
According to Orlando Ardito, General Manager of the Trade Association of International Companies of Electrical Products of Peru (EPEI-Peru), we must not leave all the responsibility to the client so that they can exercise, only, their right as a consumer, but rather, generate good business management practices, where the leading role that your company projects is the defense of quality, safety, good service, zero impacts to health and the environment; and this can only be generated from within the organizations.
The manager added that applying good practices in companies can be a consumer protection mechanism, because it allows the organization to play a better role in front of the client, always alert to provide a product or service with quality, respectful, empathetic and ethical in all its processes.
Some opportunities offered by a compliance program (Compliance):
· The compliance program is not a simple quality control program or an isolated complaint handling process, but it can be a useful tool in the face of the growing wave of complaints in your sector.
· It is an internal guide to manage the supplier-consumer relationship in its various stages, where both are satisfied.
· These good practices introduce order to the company. Indispensable.
· Identifies risk situations for the company in its relationship with the consumer, in such a way as to avoid controversies or unexpected scenarios of legal conflict between the parties (client-company).
· It develops all its activities in accordance with the laws, regulations, norms and ethical practices that apply to its sector and industry.
· Generates a true culture of respect for consumers and will promote the adoption of better standards, optimizing internal processes and improving reputation and trust.
· Applying a consumer rights protection compliance plan can prevent incidents with your customers.
A company without compliance is exposed and the consequences of not measuring the risks or implementing preventive measures can be very serious for the reputation of the organization and affect its consumers.
For Teresa Tovar, member of the Board of Directors of the Peru Chapter of the World Compliance Association, Compliance is a fundamental tool to guarantee the protection of consumer rights.
“There are more and more companies committed to strengthening their culture of integrity, which understand that Compliance goes far beyond being a means of defense against criminal risks. Those who opt for this will be able to conduct all their processes in compliance with the legal framework and best practices for the benefit of all their stakeholders, including consumers. It is no longer enough to provide a good service or manufacture a good product, consumers demand good businessmen. Understanding this is the key to the sustainability of any company”, says Tovar.
Therefore, since 2017, 65% of international electrical product companies, represented by Indeco SA, Ticino del Perú SA, Schneider Electric Perú SA, Sonepar Perú SAC, Signify Perú SA, Ledvance Perú SA, Anixter Jorvex SAC, Weg Perú SA, which are part of the Association of International Electrical Products Companies of Peru (EPEI-PERÚ), sign every year the “Multiparty Compliance Statement”, in which they assume and reaffirm their willingness to assume very strict policies. compliance and business ethics, as well as zero tolerance for the practice of bribery and corruption.
Likewise, EPEI-Peru has a collaboration agreement with the World Compliance Association, which has more than 2,500 associates and constitutes the largest Spanish-speaking compliance association for the promotion of a true culture of compliance.